This is an industry marked by its novelty and intense competition, that needs to reinvent itself every cycle, which spans around four years, needing new narratives to keep it buzzing. Unlike products that address immediate necessities, such as food or clothing, which are easily understood by the market, we are involved in generating a demand for the future. This parallels historical shifts, like the replacement of the stables industry by the car industry or the evolution of homo sapiens sapiens to homo smartphone sapiens. Unlike concepts like Artificial Intelligence first talked about in antiquity by Homer’s Golden Maidens, the transformative nature of our industry is not immediately apparent in contemporary human awareness.

Presently, representing this amazing technology are mostly opportunists in the role of shady door to door salesmen, selling PFP NFTs and Meme Coins like sets of miraculous pans that can transform poultry into beef and wonderous knife sets that double as laser swords. Their objective is to persuade unknowing individuals to invest their hard-earned fiat into this technology not with the promise that it will contribute to a positive transformation of a broken society but with the mirage of overnight riches.

The blockchain emerged unexpectedly, setting off fireworks in the minds of everyone from starry-eyed dreamers to the gullible, the big thinkers, and even the con artists. Right now, if you’re playing in this sandbox, you’re probably wearing one of these hats. It’s still the Wild West out here, regulation-wise, which is a double-edged sword. On one hand, there’s massive potential; on the other, it’s like a tightrope walk without a safety net for users. And here’s the real head-scratcher: who’s gonna be the sheriff in this crypto town? After all, the whole allure of crypto is its freedom from the heavy hand of the ‘oppressor’.

At AIRO, we have started this exciting journey alongside MultiversX, a niche V 3.0 blockchain. which, despite not having the widespread adoption of Solana, boasts attributes akin to a Lamborghini in comparison to Solana’s Ford Mustang-like qualities. Such is the trust in the potential of our ecosystem that we, as a young project on an extremely powerful blockchain believe that avoiding unnecessary hype is now crucial. We consider such hype to be counterproductive for our project’s current stage of development.

We’re constantly bombarded with unsolicited advice from our community’s self-proclaimed marketing gurus. They keep telling us to ramp up the marketing, hype it up, and throw in those quick-fix boosters. But here’s the kicker: these same people, the ones we’ve been generously showering with airdrops and utilitarian NFT freebies all year, they get mad, sometimes downright verbally aggressive, as if we owe them even more. It’s ironic, isn’t it? These so-called supporters, who come running at the mere mention of ‘free’, are the first ones to ditch and dump what they get from us. A word of advice for new builders, from our experience: watch out for those angry airdrop hunters.

We’re aware that our marketing game could use some leveling up. But let’s be real, building a rock-solid foundation takes time, often years. Without it, we’d be just like any other fly-by-night project, hustling folks with the old buy-low-sell-high scam. We’ve never been about dangling the carrot of instant wealth, and we’re not about to start.

AIRO isn’t just another project; it’s a labor of love with the power to really shake things up. We’re here to bring wellness to our users and to dig into resources the market hasn’t even touched yet. What we’re about is sustainable, transformative tech — not just a quick tech makeover. Sure, we’re a business and we’ve got to keep the lights on, but Rome wasn’t built in a day, and neither can AIRO hit its full stride overnight, especially with the resources we’ve got. We’re playing the long game here.

This is what we are proud of achieving in 2023:

We put our heads together and crafted something pretty special: an Air Quality Monitor that doubles as a rewards hub. It’s like a stealth health guardian, quietly working for the user’s wellbeing while they’re none the wiser. They think it’s all about the perks, but we know it’s really about keeping them healthy. And here’s the cherry on top: in the process of doing this, we pioneered the first DePIN project on MultiversX. It’s all about blending health, rewards, and innovation in one smart package.

We didn’t just stop at creating our Air Quality Monitor. We took it to the next level and brought it to you. Along the way, we’ve been busy branding, patenting, and tokenizing. We’ve built a community around it, engaged with enthusiasts, formed partnerships, and spread the word far and wide. We’ve even ‘connectified’ and gamified the whole experience, and let’s not forget about hackathonizing it!

Then there’s the decentralization of our governance — we’ve gone full DAO. And to beef up the AIRO ecosystem, we introduced The Elementals NFT Collection. This isn’t just any collection; it’s paving the way for the first-ever real-life interaction between a household item like the Air Miner and a video game.

We’re also focused on adding value to our token. We’ve developed products that utilize it, like the PDFNFT MVP, which we proudly showcased at the Xday Hackathon. Through all of this, we’ve made incredible friends and partners, like On Chain Smokers, Multiconomy, OneDex, PeerMe, Solmag, Xcards, Jexchange, Xoxno or Frameit and we even snagged a grant from Google Cloud. It’s been a whirlwind of innovation and collaboration, all aimed at taking AIRO to new heights.

We’re totally jazzed about our achievements, but hey, we’re just getting warmed up. Our drive to push the envelope is fiercer than ever, and we’re pretty sure you’re feeling the same buzz. Wondering what’s cooking for AIRO in 2024? We could hit you with a laundry list of plans, but let’s cut to the chase and keep the excitement high: In 2024, AIRO’s mantra is to Learn, Improve, and Accelerate!

Here’s a sneak peek: We’re rolling out the first Air Miners to our awesome supporters and ramping up our community like never before. We’re on the hunt for fresh partnerships and investors, and fingers crossed, we might even kickstart a production line right in Romania.

And hold onto your hats, because AIROMAP.com is about to drop, and wait till you see the Outdoor version of the Air Miner. We’re not stopping there — new Elementals NFTs are on the way, packed with spells to amp up your creatures. Plus, get ready for a revamped website, a slicker dashboard, and a whole lot more surprises up our sleeve.

So buckle up, 2024’s gonna be a wild ride with AIRO! 🚀🎉

In the end, all of us builders are really like dedicated blockchain salesmen. Day in and day out, we’re out there, metaphorically knocking on doors, tirelessly working to meet our goals to stay relevant for our communities. It’s all about convincing people that their investment in this incredible technology isn’t just a financial decision — it’s a step towards creating a better, freer world. Sure, it’s a tough sell. We face rejection constantly, hearing ‘no’ maybe 19 times for every single ‘yes’. It can be exhausting, sometimes downright disheartening. But when that ‘yes’ comes, it’s nothing short of exhilarating. It’s not just a sale; it’s a connection with someone who sees the value beyond the hype, who understands that this isn’t about quick riches or flashy gimmicks. This ‘yes’ comes from someone who recognizes the real potential of blockchain to break free from centuries-old constraints. And that makes all the difference, setting us apart from those who peddle false promises for a quick buck. It’s about genuine belief and transformative change.

Here’s to a fantastic new year to everyone! A huge shoutout to our community members — your support means the world to us. And to those who’ve really stood shoulder to shoulder with us through thick and thin, a special thank you. We’re committed to making you proud. Let’s soar into 2024 together! 🚀🎉

Călin Manța

Blockchain Salesman